Key Concept: The Lord's purpose in creation was and is a heaven formed from the human race (Divine Providence 27).
Now since heaven is from the human race, and heaven is an abiding with the Lord to eternity, it follows that this was the Lord's end in creation; and since heaven was the end in creation, it is also the end of His Divine providence. The Lord did not create the universe for His own sake, but for the sake of those with whom He will be in heaven; for spiritual love is such that it wishes to give what is its own to another; and so far as it can do this, it is in its being (esse), in its peace, and in its blessedness. Spiritual love derives this property from the Lord's Divine love, which is such in an infinite degree. From this it follows that the Divine love, and consequently the Divine providence, have as their end a heaven consisting of men who have become, and who are becoming angels, upon whom the Lord can bestow all the blessings and felicities that belong to love and wisdom, and to bestow these from Himself in them (Divine Providence 27:2).
The end itself of creation...is an angelic heaven from the human race (Canons of The New Church: God VII).
The Lord's Divine providence is universal from the minutest particulars, because He created the universe that an infinite and eternal creation from Himself might exist in it; and this creation exists that the Lord might form from men a heaven which should appear before Him as one man who should be the image and likeness of Himself. That this heaven formed out of men is such in the Lord's sight, and that this was the end of creation, is shown above...also that the Divine in all that it does, looks to the infinite and eternal.... The infinite and eternal that the Lord looks to in forming His heaven out of men, is that it shall be enlarged to infinity and to eternity, and that He may thus have a constant abiding place in the end of His creation. This is the infinite and eternal creation that the Lord provided for through the creation of the universe; and He is constantly present in that creation by means of His Divine providence (Divine Providence 202).
What Is the Purpose of Creation?
Key Concept: The Lord's purpose in creation was and is a heaven formed from the human race (Divine Providence 27).
Now since heaven is from the human race, and heaven is an abiding with the Lord to eternity, it follows that this was the Lord's end in creation; and since heaven was the end in creation, it is also the end of His Divine providence. The Lord did not create the universe for His own sake, but for the sake of those with whom He will be in heaven; for spiritual love is such that it wishes to give what is its own to another; and so far as it can do this, it is in its being (esse), in its peace, and in its blessedness. Spiritual love derives this property from the Lord's Divine love, which is such in an infinite degree. From this it follows that the Divine love, and consequently the Divine providence, have as their end a heaven consisting of men who have become, and who are becoming angels, upon whom the Lord can bestow all the blessings and felicities that belong to love and wisdom, and to bestow these from Himself in them (Divine Providence 27:2).
The end itself of creation...is an angelic heaven from the human race (Canons of The New Church: God VII).
The Lord's Divine providence is universal from the minutest particulars, because He created the universe that an infinite and eternal creation from Himself might exist in it; and this creation exists that the Lord might form from men a heaven which should appear before Him as one man who should be the image and likeness of Himself. That this heaven formed out of men is such in the Lord's sight, and that this was the end of creation, is shown above...also that the Divine in all that it does, looks to the infinite and eternal.... The infinite and eternal that the Lord looks to in forming His heaven out of men, is that it shall be enlarged to infinity and to eternity, and that He may thus have a constant abiding place in the end of His creation. This is the infinite and eternal creation that the Lord provided for through the creation of the universe; and He is constantly present in that creation by means of His Divine providence (Divine Providence 202).(BACK)